ging to find themselves back in the bleak homeland, they were naturally eager to return to the heavenly delights. So they would, they were told, provided they proved themselves worthy by demonstration of their perfect readiness to obey. What if they should meet with death in the performance of the orders of the Sheik? That would mean no more than the granting of their desire, only then their bliss would be eternal. The extent to which this teaching had been absorbed was illustrated in the experience of a visitor to their fastnesses who was being shown about by the Sheik in person. In one of the defiles of the mountains this visitor saw a sentinel perched upon a ledge of rock high above them. His eager, watchful manner indicated how closely he was observing their movements. Suddenly the Sheik, who appeared to have been oblivious of him, waved with his hand, and, without an instant's hesitation, the man plunged headlong into the valley, landing a mass of broken bones and bleeding flesh at the feet of the Master. After due reflection Saladin decided he could not continue to be dependent upon good fortune alone to escape the threat against his life, and led his army into the mountains. His declared purpose was to put an end to the Old Man and all his tribe. No entirely trustworthy record of what ensued exists, but there are various accounts to explain the issue. One declared that Sinan, the Sheik at that time, prevailed upon the Sultan's maternal uncle to intervene in his behalf